System and Method for Locating a Wireless Communication Device With Respect to a Vehicle

ABSTRACT

A method for determining a location of a vehicle access device relative to a vehicle is disclosed. The method includes receiving, at a first communication node of the vehicle, an advertisement from the vehicle access device, and transmitting a connection request to the vehicle access device associated with the received advertisement. The method includes establishing, at the first communication node, a connection with the vehicle access device, and determining a general location of the vehicle access device. When the general location of the vehicle access device is less than a threshold distance, the method includes transmitting, from the first communication node, a high duty cycle advertisement command to a second communication node in communication with the first communication node. The method includes receiving, at the first communication node, a signal from the vehicle access device, the signal indicative of a location of the vehicle access device relative to the vehicle.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 62/356,015, filed Jun. 29, 2016, the entirecontents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to a system and method forlocating a wireless communication device with respect to a vehicle.

BACKGROUND

This section provides background information related to the presentdisclosure and is not necessarily prior art.

A wireless communication device, such as a smartphone, a smart watch, ora computer (e.g., a tablet, laptop, personal digital assistant, etc.),for example, can be used to communicate with a motor vehicle. Forexample, a wireless communication device may communicate with a vehiclein order to access, diagnose faults, start/stop, and/or provide power tocertain components and/or systems within the vehicle. In particular, auser may utilize a wireless communication protocol (e.g., short-rangeradio wave communication, Wi-Fi, BLUETOOTH®, near field communication(NFC), etc.) to access and/or operate the vehicle. For example, theoperator may access and/or operate the vehicle by utilizing a wirelesscommunication protocol controlled and powered by a smartphone.

When utilizing the wireless communication device to access and/oroperate the vehicle, communication between the wireless communicationdevice and the vehicle can be adversely affected by variousenvironmental factors and/or conditions. The environmental factorsand/or conditions may include, but are not limited to, a distancebetween the wireless communication device and the vehicle, weatherconditions (e.g., clouds, rain, snow, etc.) at the location of thewireless communication device and/or the vehicle, existence of anybarriers (e.g., wall, buildings, people, clothing, etc.) between thewireless communication device and the vehicle, and the orientation ofthe wireless communication device relative to the vehicle. These variousenvironmental conditions may make it difficult to accurately determinethe location of the wireless communication device relative to thevehicle. In particular, environmental conditions may make it difficultto accurately determine the distance between the wireless communicationdevice and the vehicle and, more specifically, the location of thewireless communication device with respect to the vehicle. For example,determining if the wireless communication device is near the frontright/left door, back right/left door, or the trunk.

While known systems and methods for determining the location of, and/ordistance between, a wireless communication device and a vehicle haveproven to be acceptable for their intended use, such systems aretypically sensitive to various environmental conditions between, andsurrounding, the wireless communication device and the vehicle. Suchsensitivity to environmental conditions can make it difficult toaccurately determine the location of, and/or distance between, thewireless communication device and the vehicle, thereby making itdifficult to access and/or operate the vehicle with the wirelesscommunication device.

SUMMARY

This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not acomprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.

One aspect of the disclosure provides a method for determining alocation of a vehicle access device relative to a vehicle. The methodincludes receiving, at a first communication node of the vehicle, anadvertisement from the vehicle access device. The method also includestransmitting, from the first communication node, a connection request tothe vehicle access device associated with the received advertisement.The method also includes establishing, at the first communication node,a connection with the vehicle access device. In addition, the methodincludes determining, at the first communication node, a generallocation of the vehicle access device. When the general location of thevehicle access device is less than a threshold distance, the methodincludes transmitting, from the first communication node, a notificationto the vehicle access device. The notification is indicative of a noticeto scan for a high duty cycle advertisement. The method also includestransmitting, from the first communication node, a high duty cycleadvertisement command to a second communication node of the vehicle incommunication with the first communication node. In response toreceiving the high duty cycle advertisement command at the secondcommunication node, the method includes transmitting a high duty cycleadvertisement for a duration of time. In addition, the method includesreceiving, at the first communication node, a signal from the vehicleaccess device, the signal indicative of a location of the vehicle accessdevice relative to the vehicle.

Implementations of the disclosure may include one or more of thefollowing optional features. In some implementations, the thresholddistance is a distance from the vehicle of about five meters or less.The duration of time for transmitting the high duty cycle advertisementfrom the second communication node may be about 1.28 seconds. The methodmay also include transmitting signal strength indication values from thefirst and second communication nodes to the vehicle access device. Thefirst communication node, the second communication node, and the vehicleaccess device may support Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) personal areanetwork technology.

Another aspect of the disclosure provides a system for determining alocation of a vehicle access device relative to a vehicle. The systemincludes a first communication node and a second communication node incommunication with the first communication node. The first communicationnode is configured to receive an advertisement from the vehicle accessdevice and transmit a connection request to the vehicle access deviceassociated with the received advertisement. The first communication nodeis also configured to establish a connection with the vehicle accessdevice and determine a general location of the vehicle access device.When the general location of the vehicle access device is less than athreshold distance, the first communication node is configured totransmit a notification to the vehicle access device for a period oftime. The notification is indicative of a notice to scan for a high dutycycle advertisement. The first communication node is also configured totransmit a high duty cycle advertisement command. The secondcommunication node is configured to receive the high duty cycleadvertisement command from the first communication node and transmit ahigh duty cycle advertisement for a duration of time. In response totransmitting the high duty cycle advertisement for the duration of time,the first communication node receives a signal from the vehicle accessdevice. The signal is indicative of a location of the vehicle accessdevice relative to the vehicle.

Implementations of the disclosure may include one or more of thefollowing optional features. In some implementations, the thresholddistance is a distance from the system of about five meters or less. Theduration of time for transmitting the high duty cycle advertisement fromthe second communication node may be about 1.28 seconds. The first andsecond communication nodes may each transmit signal strength indicationvalues to the vehicle access device. The first communication node, thesecond communication node, and the vehicle access device may supportBluetooth Low Energy (BLE) personal area network technology.

Yet another aspect of the disclosure provides a method for determining alocation of a vehicle access device relative to a vehicle. The methodincludes transmitting, from data processing hardware associated with thevehicle access device, an advertisement to the vehicle, and receiving,at the data processing hardware, a notification from the vehicle. Thenotification is indicative of a notice to scan for a high duty cycleadvertisement. In response to the notification, the method includesscanning, at the data processing hardware, for high duty cycleadvertisements, and receiving, at the data processing hardware, signalstrength indication values associated with the high duty cycleadvertisements. The method also includes determining, at the dataprocessing hardware, a location of the vehicle access device withrespect to the vehicle based on the received signal strength values, andtransmitting, from the data processing hardware to the vehicle, thelocation of the vehicle access device relative to the vehicle.

Implementations of the disclosure may include one or more of thefollowing optional features. In some implementations, the methodincludes receiving, at the data processing hardware, a connectionrequest to connect the data processing hardware to the vehicle. Thesignal strength indication values may be received from at least one nodeof the vehicle. The high duty cycle advertisement may be received forintervals having a duration of about 1.28 seconds. The vehicle accessdevice may include one of a smartphone, a smart watch, and atablet-computing device.

Yet another aspect of the disclosure provides a vehicle access device.The device includes data processing hardware, a screen in communicationwith the data processing hardware, and memory hardware in communicationwith the data processing hardware. The memory hardware storesinstructions that when executed on the data processing hardware, causethe data processing hardware to perform operations. The operationsinclude transmitting an advertisement to the vehicle and receiving anotification from a vehicle. The notification is indicative of a noticeto scan for a high duty cycle advertisement. In response to thenotification, the operations include scanning for high duty cycleadvertisements, and receiving signal strength indication valuesassociated with the high duty cycle advertisements. The operationsfurther include determining a location of the vehicle access device withrespect to the vehicle based on the received signal strength values, andtransmitting the location of the vehicle access device relative to thevehicle.

Implementations of the disclosure may include one or more of thefollowing optional features. In some implementations, the operationsfurther include receiving a connection request to connect the dataprocessing hardware to the vehicle. The signal strength indicationvalues may be received from at least one node of the vehicle. The highduty cycle advertisement may be received for intervals having a durationof about 1.28 seconds. The vehicle access device may include one of asmartphone, a smart watch, and a tablet computing device.

Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the descriptionprovided herein. The description and specific examples in this summaryare intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended tolimit the scope of the present disclosure.

DRAWINGS

The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only ofselected configurations and not all possible implementations, and arenot intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an example vehicle communicationsystem according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is another functional block diagram of the example vehiclecommunication system of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3A and 3B are functional block diagrams of the example vehiclecommunication system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart depicting an example method of controlling avehicle communication system according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart depicting an example method of communicationbetween a vehicle and a vehicle access device according to the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart depicting another example method of controlling avehicle communication system according to the present disclosure; and

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of an example computing device executing anysystems or methods described herein.

Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughoutthe drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Example configurations will now be described more fully with referenceto the accompanying drawings. Example configurations are provided sothat this disclosure will be thorough, and will fully convey the scopeof the disclosure to those of ordinary skill in the art. Specificdetails are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices,and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of configurations ofthe present disclosure. It will be apparent to those of ordinary skillin the art that specific details need not be employed, that exampleconfigurations may be embodied in many different forms, and that thespecific details and the example configurations should not be construedto limit the scope of the disclosure.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularexemplary configurations only and is not intended to be limiting. Asused herein, the singular articles “a,” “an,” and “the” may be intendedto include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearlyindicates otherwise. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “including,”and “having,” are inclusive and therefore specify the presence offeatures, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do notpreclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps,operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The methodsteps, processes, and operations described herein are not to beconstrued as necessarily requiring their performance in the particularorder discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as anorder of performance. Additional or alternative steps may be employed.

The description provided herein is merely illustrative in nature and isin no way intended to limit the disclosure, its application, or uses.The broad teachings of the disclosure can be implemented in a variety offorms. Therefore, while this disclosure includes particular examples,the true scope of the disclosure should not be so limited since othermodifications will become apparent upon a study of the drawings, thespecification, and the following claims. As used herein, the phrase atleast one of A, B, and C should be construed to mean a logical (A or Bor C), using a non-exclusive logical OR. It should be understood thatone or more steps within a method may be executed in different order (orconcurrently) without altering the principles of the present disclosure.

In this application, including the definitions below, the term modulemay be replaced with the term circuit. The term module may refer to, bepart of, or include an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC); adigital, analog, or mixed analog/digital discrete circuit; a digital,analog, or mixed analog/digital integrated circuit; a combinationallogic circuit; a field programmable gate array (FPGA); a processor(shared, dedicated, or group) that executes code; memory (shared,dedicated, or group) that stores code executed by a processor; othersuitable hardware components that provide the described functionality;or a combination of some or all of the above, such as in asystem-on-chip.

The term code, as used above, may include software, firmware, and/ormicrocode, and may refer to programs, routines, functions, classes,and/or objects. The term shared processor encompasses a single processorthat executes some or all code from multiple modules. The term groupprocessor encompasses a processor that, in combination with additionalprocessors, executes some or all code from one or more modules. The termshared memory encompasses a single memory that stores some or all codefrom multiple modules. The term group memory encompasses a memory that,in combination with additional memories, stores some or all code fromone or more modules. The term memory may be a subset of the termcomputer-readable medium. The term computer-readable medium does notencompass transitory electrical and electromagnetic signals propagatingthrough a medium, and may therefore be considered tangible andnon-transitory. Non-limiting examples of a non-transitory tangiblecomputer readable medium include nonvolatile memory, volatile memory,magnetic storage, and optical storage.

The apparatuses and methods described in this application may bepartially or fully implemented by one or more computer programs executedby one or more processors. The computer programs includeprocessor-executable instructions that are stored on at least onenon-transitory tangible computer readable medium. The computer programsmay also include and/or rely on stored data.

A vehicle access device, such as a smartphone, may be used to access andcontrol some features of a vehicle. In some examples, both the vehicleaccess devices and the vehicle support BLUETOOTH® Low Energy (BLE)personal area network technology, which allows communication between thevehicle access device and the vehicle. In some examples, the vehicleand/or the vehicle access device implements a localizationstrategy/algorithm to determine a location of the vehicle access devicewith respect to the vehicle. BLE technology uses 2.4 Gigahertz operatingradio frequencies to communicate, which is the same frequencies used byclassic BLUETOOTH®. In some examples, environmental factors affect thequality of the communication. To determine a relative location of thevehicle access device 14, the vehicle gathers as many received signalstrength indicators (RSSIs) from the vehicle access device and uses allor most of the gathered RSSIs to determine the RSSI value that thevehicle uses to determine a relative position of the vehicle accessdevice with respect to the vehicle. In an IEEE 802.11 system, RSSI isthe relative received signal strength in a wireless environment, inarbitrary units.

When a device wants to establish communication with another device usingBLE protocols, the first device advertises its presence using, forexample, three RF channels that are dedicated for advertising functions.Another device within a threshold distance from the first device may bescanning for devices sending advertisements. The first and seconddevices may initiate communication by finding one another, when onedevice is advertising and the second device is scanning for advertisers.In some examples, a vehicle access device, such as a smartphone, maylimit the allowable time that the vehicle access device may advertiseits presence. For example, the allowable time may be greater than orequal to 20 milliseconds to both conserve battery life and because theadvertisement channels are typically also used to establish Wi-Fi andother communication protocols. In addition, in some examples, thevehicle may have a threshold period of time (e.g., less than one second)to determine the relative location of the vehicle access device withrespect to the vehicle. As such, it is desirable to design a vehiclecommunication system 10 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) that considers the vehicleaccess device advertisement time limit in addition to the vehicle timelimitations to attain an accurate determination of the vehicle accessdevice, while considering latency and power consumption requirements ofthe vehicle access device and the vehicle.

With reference to FIGS. 1-3B, the vehicle communication system 10 isprovided. The vehicle communication system 10 may include a vehicle 12,a vehicle access device 14, and a vehicle control center 18 (alsoreferred to as a controller). The vehicle 12 may be any known variety ofmotorized vehicle, such as a car, truck, or van, for example. In thisregard, the vehicle 12 may be a private or commercial-type motorvehicle. In some configurations, the vehicle 12 may be one of a group ofvehicles 12 that make up part of a fleet of vehicles, such as a fleet ofrental vehicles or a fleet of commercial vehicles, such as deliveryvehicles or service vehicles.

The vehicle 12 may include an access system 20, a communication system22, and a body control module 23. The access system 20 may include oneor more locks 24, 24 a-n, a locking module 26, and one or more doors 28and/or other access location(s). The locks 24 may permit and/or preventaccess to the vehicle 12 through the doors 28. For example, each door 28of the vehicle 12 may include a lock 24 and a handle 30. In particular,the locking module 26 may communicate with the lock(s) 24 to permitand/or prevent operation of the handle 30 in order to permit and/orprevent access to the vehicle 12 through the doors 28. As such, thelocking module 26 may receive a signal from the vehicle access device 14and control a state (e.g., locked or unlocked) of the lock(s) 24 basedon the signal(s) received from the vehicle access device 14.

The communication system 22 may include one or more wirelesscommunication nodes 34, 34 a-n, a communication application 36, and aninfotainment system 37. For example, in some configurations, thecommunication system 22 includes three wireless communication nodes 34.In particular, the communication system 22 may include a primary or mainwireless communication node 34 a, a first secondary communication node34 b, and a second secondary communication node 34 c.

Referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B, a vehicle 12 may include an A-pillar 13 a,a B-pillar 13 b, a C-pillar 13 c, and in some examples a D-pillar 13 d.The D-pillar 13 d may be used in station-wagons and sports utilityvehicles (SUVs). The A-pillars 13 a are the structural elements of thevehicle 12 that generally support the windshield and vehicle roof. Eachsuccessive vertical support after the A-pillar likewise supports thevehicle roof and is denoted by successive letters in the alphabet. Assuch, the B-pillars 13 b start where the driver and passenger-sidewindows end. The C-pillars 13 c are disposed aft of the B-Pillars andbetween the B-Pillars and the D-Pillars (if present). The D-Pillars 13 dare the rear-most roof support structure and are typically only presentin sport utility vehicles (SUVs), minivans, and station-wagons.

The communication nodes 34 may be located in various locations on and/orin the vehicle 12. For example, the primary wireless communication node34 a is located on a body portion of the vehicle 12. In particular, insome configurations, the primary wireless communication node 34 a may belocated on the C-pillar 13 c of the vehicle 12 as shown in FIG. 3A. Inother examples, the primary wireless communication node 34 a is locatedon the D-pillar 13 d of the vehicle 12, as shown in FIG. 3B. The firstand/or second communication nodes 34 b, 34 c, may each be located on oneof the doors 28 of the vehicle 12. For example, in some configurations,the first secondary communication node 34 b is located on the doorhandle 30 on a driver's side of the vehicle 12, and the second secondarycommunication node 34 c is located on the door handle 30 on apassenger's side of the vehicle 12. In other examples, the communicationsystem 22 includes four secondary communication nodes 34 a-34 d, andeach one of the four secondary communication nodes 34 a-34 d is locatedon a door handle 30 of the vehicle, including front and rear driver andpassenger door handles 30. The role of each BLE node 34 being theprimary node or the secondary node is not fixed. As such, in someexamples, the primary node 34 a located on the C-pillar 13 c may becomethe second secondary node, while the second secondary node becomes theprimary node. In this case, the primary node is located on the doorhandle 30 of the vehicle 12.

As will be explained in more detail below, each wireless communicationnode 34 may be configured to communicate with the other wirelesscommunication node(s) 34. For example, the wireless communication nodes34 of the vehicle 12 may communicate with one another, and with thevehicle access device 14, through one or more wired and/or wirelesscommunication protocols, such as LIN Communication, short-range radiowave communication, Wi-Fi, BLUETOOTH®, and/or BLUETOOTH® Low Energy(BLE) (e.g., Mesh BLE). In this regard, the wireless communication nodes34 may be referred to herein as BLE communication nodes 34. In someexamples, the wireless communication nodes 34 may communicate with otherwireless communication nodes, such as, the wireless communication node52 of the vehicle access device 14.

The BLE communication nodes 34 a-n may each include a BLE address. TheBLE address may include one or more of a UUID address, a major address,a minor address, and transmit power information. The UUID address may bea string used to differentiate a large group of related nodes. Forexample, the UUID is used to identify that a node 34 is associated witha vehicle 12. The major address is a string used to distinguish asmaller subset of the nodes 34 within the larger group of nodes 34. Forexample, the major address is used to identify a specific car within agroup of cars. The minor address is a string used to identify anindividual node 34 within the group of nodes associated with thespecific vehicle 12 identified by the major address. The transmit powerinformation may be used to determine an estimated distance of a vehicleaccess device 14, for example, from the identified individual node 34.As such, each BLE communication node 34 a-n includes the same majoraddress to associate the node 34 with the corresponding vehicle 12.However, each node 34 associated with the vehicle 12 includes adifferent minor address to differentiate each node 34 from another node34 of the vehicle 12. The vehicle access device 14 uses the UUID addressto identify that a node 34 is associated with a vehicle 12. The vehicleaccess device 14 uses the major address to identify that the node 34 isassociated with a specific vehicle 12 when there are more than onevehicle 12 having nodes 34. Finally, the vehicle access device 14 usesthe minor address to identify and differentiate which node 34 thevehicle access device 14 is being used to communicate with the vehicle12.

In some examples, the vehicle access device 14 includes a table thatgroups the BLE communication nodes 34 a-n associated with a specificvehicle 12. Using the BLE addresses, including the minor BLE addresses,can help the vehicle access device 14 determine which of the BLEcommunication nodes 34 a, 34 b, 34 c the vehicle access device 14 shouldcommunicate with when there is more than one vehicle 12.

The communication application 36 may allow the vehicle 12 to communicatewith the vehicle access device 14 and/or with the vehicle control center18. For example, the communication application 36 may implement awireless communication protocol that allows the vehicle 12 to wirelesslysend and receive messages to and/or from the vehicle access device 14and/or the vehicle control center 18.

The communication application 36 may be a native application or a webapplication. A native application may refer to an application that isinstalled on a device, such as the vehicle 12, the vehicle access device14, and/or the controller 18. The device may download, install, andexecute the native application. A web application may refer to anapplication that a device, such as the vehicle 12, the vehicle accessdevice 14, and/or the controller 18 can access via a network (e.g.,public network, such as the Internet). In some examples, the webapplication refers to a webpage that the device can access via a webbrowser. The device may execute the web application, e.g., via a webbrowser.

Although the communication application 36 is executed on the vehicle 12,the vehicle access device 14 and, optionally, the controller 18, thecommunication application provides different functionalities andfeatures to each one of the vehicle 12, the vehicle access device 14,and the controller 18. For example, the communication application 36associated with the vehicle 12 may or may not be accessible to the user.If accessible to the user 11, the communication application 36 mayprovide access to the vehicle access device 14 by way of theinfotainment system 37 (e.g., the display). The communicationapplication 36 associated with the vehicle access device 14 may allowthe user to control the vehicle 12. For example, the communicationapplication 36 may allow the user to lock and unlock the doors via thelocking module 36, and/or start and stop the engine of the vehicle 12,and/or control a temperature of the vehicle 12. In addition, thecommunication application 36 associated with the controller 18 allows anoperator to give permission to a specific vehicle 12 and/or a specificvehicle access device 14 to communicate with one another.

The infotainment system 37 may allow the vehicle 12 to communicate withthe user 11. For example, the infotainment system 37 may include adisplay (not shown) and/or a speaker (not shown) that allow theinfotainment system 37 to send visual and/or audible instructions to theuser. In some examples, the user may access the communicationapplication 36 associated with the vehicle 12 by using the display ofthe infotainment system 37.

The body control module 23 may control various aspects of accessingand/or operating the vehicle 12. For example, the body control module 23may communicate with the access system 20 and/or the communicationsystem 22 in order to permit or prevent access to the vehicle 12 throughthe doors 28 and/or to permit or prevent access to the vehicle 12 viathe engine (not shown). For example, the body control module 23 maypermit or prevent the vehicle access device 14 from operating the engineof the vehicle 12.

The vehicle access device 14 may include a mobile communication devicesuch as a smartphone, a smart watch, or a computer (e.g., a tablet,laptop, personal digital assistant, etc.), for example. The vehicleaccess device 14 may include a battery 42, the communication application36, an environment-monitoring application 46, a gyroscope 48, anaccelerometer 50, and a wireless communication node 52. Theenvironmental-monitoring application 46 may be configured to determinevarious environmental conditions at the location of the vehicle accessdevice 14. For example, the environmental-monitoring application 46 maybe a weather application configured to determine the temperature,humidity, and/or precipitation conditions at the location of the vehicleaccess device 14. The gyroscope 48 may be configured to determine anorientation of the vehicle access device 14. The accelerometer 50 may beconfigured to determine motion-related characteristics of the vehicleaccess device 14, such as speed, acceleration, and/or deceleration. Aswill be explained in more detail below, the wireless communication node52 may be configured to communicate with the vehicle 12 and/or thevehicle control center 18. For example, the wireless communication node52 may communicate with the wireless communication node(s) 34, throughone or more wireless communication protocols, such as short-range radiowave communication, Wi-Fi, BLUETOOTH®, and/or BLUETOOTH® Low Energy(BLE). In this regard, the wireless communication node 52 may bereferred to herein as BLE communication node 52.

The vehicle control center 18 may include the communication application36 and a wireless communication node 54. In some examples, a userassociated with a vehicle access device 14 does not have access to aspecific vehicle 12. For example, a user may be renting a vehicle 12from a vehicle rental business. As such, the vehicle control center 18communicates with one or both of the vehicle 12 and the vehicle accessdevice 14 allowing the vehicle access device to communicate and controla specific rented vehicle 12 (i.e., lock or unlock the vehicle orperform other vehicle functions). The wireless communication node 54 maybe configured to communicate with the vehicle 12 and/or the vehicleaccess device 14. For example, the wireless communication node 54 maycommunicate with the wireless communication node(s) 34 and/or 52 throughone or more wireless communication protocols, such as short-range radiowave communication, Wi-Fi, BLUETOOTH®, and/or BLUETOOTH® low energy(BLE). In this regard, the wireless communication node 54 may bereferred to herein as BLE communication node 54.

FIG. 4 illustrates a method for determining a position of the vehicleaccess device 14 relative to the vehicle 12, where both the accessdevice 14 and vehicle 12 are described in FIGS. 1-3. In an initial stateat step 71 a, the main node 34 a of the vehicle 12 is in a scan mode toscan for any devices that are advertising data packets. While the mainnode is scanning for advertised data packets, the secondary nodes 34 b-nare in a sleep mode at step 71 b. As such, the secondary nodes 34 a-nare neither scanning for advertised data packets, nor are theyadvertising data packets to be scanned by other devices.

At step 72, a user 11 may activate the communication application 36 onhis/her vehicle access device 14 to allow the vehicle access device 14to communicate with the vehicle 12. In particular, activating thecommunication application 36 may allow the wireless communication node52 to communicate with the wireless communication nodes 34, 34a-n. Oncethe user 11 activates the communication application 36, thecommunication application 36 sends the wireless communication node 52associated with the vehicle access device 14 a command to beginadvertising BLE packets for reception by the main node 34a. As such, atstep 73, the vehicle access device 14 and, more specifically, thewireless communication node 52, begins to advertise its presence toother devices.

At step 74, the vehicle 12 (i.e., the main node 34 a) that is in scanmode (see step 71 a) may scan and/or search for wirelessly transmittedinformation. For example, one or more of the wireless communicationnodes 34 a-n may scan for BLE packets. In particular, the wirelesscommunication node 34 a, 34 b, and/or 34 c may scan in pre-definedintervals of time, and/or within a predefined period of time, for BLEpackets advertised from the vehicle access device 14. As shown, theprimary wireless communication node 34 a may scan for BLE packetsadvertised from the vehicle access device 14 while the secondarycommunication nodes 34 b-n may be in sleep mode (e.g., deactivated).

It will be appreciated that, before and/or after scanning for BLEpackets advertised from the vehicle access device 14, the vehicle 12 mayrequest that the user 11 place the vehicle access device 14 in alocation and/or an orientation relative to the vehicle 12. For example,the infotainment system 37 (via the display or speakers) may requestthat the user 11 place the vehicle access device 14 within a detectionrange (e.g., a predefined distance) of one or more of the wirelesscommunication nodes 34. In this case, in some implementations, theinfotainment system 37 may send a visual and/or audio signal to the userrequesting that the vehicle access device 14 be placed in a particularlocation and/or a particular orientation relative the vehicle 12. Forexample, the infotainment system 37 may request that the vehicle accessdevice 14 be placed outside of a window of the door 28 (e.g., thedriver's side door) of the vehicle 12 and/or oriented towards thevehicle 12 (e.g., horizontal, vertical, etc.) while the application 36is activated.

In addition, at step 74, the vehicle 12 sends a message to theadvertising vehicle access device 14 to send more information (e.g.,position from the gyroscope 48 and accelerometer 50, and/or informationfrom the environment monitoring application 46).

At Step 75, the vehicle access device 14 sends the main node 34 a therequested information, which results in establishing a connectionbetween the wireless communication node 52 of the vehicle access device14 and the main node 34 a of the vehicle 12. In some examples, step 75may include an authentication process when the communication system 10includes a controller 18. In this case, the primary wirelesscommunication node 34 a may request and/or receive authenticationinformation from the wireless communication node 52 in order todetermine whether the vehicle access device 14 is permitted to accessthe vehicle 12.

At step 76, the main node 34 a sends a message to the body controlmodule 23, indicating that the main node 34 a and the vehicle accessdevice 14 have established communication, i.e., the main node 34 a andthe vehicle access device 14 are communicating.

At step 77, the body control module 23 wakes up from a previous sleepingmodes and awaits a control command from the main node 34 a and/or thevehicle access device 14. The control command may be to lock or unlockthe vehicle 12, to start the engine of the vehicle 12, or to adjust thetemperature of the vehicle 12 while the engine is running. For example,the user 11 may use the communication application 36 to send a controlcommand to the vehicle 12 via the wireless communication node 52 of thevehicle access device 14 to the main node 34 a of the vehicle 12. Thevehicle 12, in turn, sends the control command to the body controlmodule 23, which sends the control command to the corresponding device(e.g., engine, heating venting and cooling (HVAC) module).

At step 78, the body control module 23 sends the main node 34 a anacknowledgment message “ACK” indicating that the body control module 23received the message from the main node 34a, which in turn indicatesthat the main node 34 a is communicating with a vehicle access device14. In addition, the acknowledgment message “ACK” indicates that thebody control module 23 is ready to receive a control command from themain node 34 a.

Steps 79 a and 79 b may occur simultaneously. At step 79 a the main node34 a monitors RSSI values received from the vehicle access device 14 todetermine a general location of the vehicle access device 14. Inaddition, the main node 34 a may be in receipt of remote keyless entry(RKE) messages or control commands from the vehicle access device 14.Similarly, at step 79 b, the vehicle access device 14 monitors RSSIvalues received from the main node 34 a to determine a general locationof the main node 34 a.

At step 80, the main node 34 a reads the RSSI value over the attributeprotocol (ATT). ATT defines how to transfer a unit of data, and is usedby devices supporting BLE. ATT is used to discover services, read, andwrite characteristic values on peer devices.

At step 81, the main node 34 a estimates the localization of the vehicleaccess device 14 bases on the read RSSI values at step 80 andlocalization algorithms resulting in a general location of the vehicleaccess device 14.

When the main node 34 a estimates that the general location of thevehicle access device 14 is within a threshold distance (e.g., fivemeters), at step 82, the main node 34 a sends a wake-up message to thesecondary nodes 34 b-n to alter the sleeping mode (Step 71 b) of thesecondary nodes 34 b-n. As such, the secondary nodes 34 b-n wake up andsend a wake-up acknowledgement message to the main node 34 a at step 83.

When all of the secondary nodes 34 b-n are awake, at step 84, the mainnode 34 a then sends a command to scan for advertisement messages fromthe secondary nodes 34 b-n. As such, the main node 34 a gives thevehicle access device 14 a notice to be prepared for the high duty cyclemode messages.

At block 85, the main node 34 a sends a command to the secondary nodes34 b-n to directly advertise in the high duty cycle (HDC) mode (i.e.,3.75 milliseconds for a duration of 1.28 seconds). Other durations oftime may be possible as well. In some examples, the main node 34 a usesLocal Interconnect Network (LIN) protocol or a private bus to send thecommand to the secondary nodes 34 b-n to directly advertise at the HDCmode. Other protocols may also be used to communicate between the nodes34.

At block 86, each one of the secondary nodes 34 b-n transmits a directadvertisement message at the high duty cycle mode.

At block 87, the vehicle access device 14 gathers groups of RSSI samplevalues from each one of the secondary nodes 34 b-n in sequence whilestill connected to the main node 34 a. In this case, the vehicle accessdevice 14 operates in a multi-role (i.e., scatternet mode). This meansthat while being connected to the main node 34 a as the advertiser, thevehicle access device 14 also acts as the scanner at the same time. Aspreviously described, each node 34 has its own unique identification(e.g., major and minor address). As such, the vehicle access deviceknows which node 34 b-n is associated with each received RSSI samplevalue.

When the vehicle access device 14 gathers the groups of RSSI valuesassociated with each secondary node 34 b-n, at step 88, the vehicleaccess device 14 then executes an algorithm to filter and smooth RSSIsample values.

At step 89, the vehicle access device 14 sends the result RSSI value tothe main node 34 a for further localization operations at step 90. Whenthe main node 34 a performs the final localization algorithm using thereceived result RSSI value, the relative location of the vehicle accessmechanism 14 is determined. The main node 34 a sends the relativelocation to the body control module 23.

The steps and operations described in FIG. 4 improve the latency andaccuracy of determining the relative location of the vehicle accessdevice 14 with respect to the vehicle 12. For example, a system has anadvertisement constraint of 300 milliseconds to gather RSSI values todetermine the relative location of a vehicle access device 14. In thiscase, if the vehicle access device 14 is advertising, then the vehicleaccess device 14 can only have 15 RSSI values to use for finding therelative location of the vehicle access device 14. As previouslydiscussed, BLE applications limit the minimum allowable advertisinginterval to greater than or equal to 20 milliseconds. As such, 300milliseconds/20 milliseconds=15 RSSI values. Fifteen RSSI values may notbe sufficient to determine the relative location of the vehicle accessdevice 14 because some of the 15 RSSI values are a result of reflecteddata from the vehicle access device 14. Considering a similar example asapplied to the communication system 10 described in FIGS. 1-4, having anadvertisement constraint of 300 milliseconds to gather RSSI values;however, in this case, if the secondary nodes 34 b-n advertise at a highduty cycle mode as described above, the vehicle access device collects80 RSSI values (300 milliseconds/3.75 milliseconds=80 values). EightyRSSI sample values is a large enough sample to get an RSSI value afterfiltering to give a good relative location of the vehicle access device14. In addition, if the system 10 only needs 15 samples to determine therelative location of the vehicle access device 14, the system 10 takesabout 56 milliseconds to get the 15 samples (3.75×15=56.25milliseconds). As such, the system 10 improves the duration from 300milliseconds to 56 milliseconds, which results in using less power to dothe BLE localization operations.

While the access device 14 is described above as being a smartphone,smart watch, or tablet, in some examples, the vehicle access device 14may be a key fob. In this case, all the nodes 34 of the vehicle 12 actas the main node 34, as a key fob is not under the same power orcommunication restraints as a smartphone, smart watch, or tablet. Assuch, each of the nodes 34 are permitted to simultaneously communicatewith the key fob 14.

FIG. 5 provides an example arrangement of operations for a method 500 ofdetermining a location of a vehicle access device 14 relative to avehicle 12. The method 500 is described with respect to the vehicle 12and the vehicle access device 14 of the communication system 10 asillustrated in FIGS. 1-4. At block 502, the method 500 includesreceiving, at a first communication node (e.g., a main node 34 a of thevehicle 12), an advertisement message from the vehicle access device 14;namely from the wireless communication node 52 of the vehicle accessdevice 14. At block 504, the method 500 includes transmitting, from thefirst communication node 34 a, a connection request to the vehicleaccess device 14 associated with the received advertisement. At block506, the method 500 includes establishing, at the first communicationnode 34 a, a connection with the vehicle access device 14. In addition,at block 508, the method 500 includes determining, at the firstcommunication node 34 a, a general location of the vehicle access device14. When the general location of the vehicle access device 14 is lessthan a threshold distance (e.g., five meters or less), at block 510, themethod 500 then includes transmitting, from the first communication node34 a, a notification to the vehicle access device 14. The notificationis indicative of a notice to scan for high duty cycle advertisements. Atblock 512, the method 500 includes transmitting, from the firstcommunication node 34 a, a high duty cycle advertisement command to asecond communication node (e.g., a secondary node 34 b-n) of the vehicle12 in communication with the first communication node 34 a. In responseto receiving the high duty cycle advertisement command at the secondcommunication node 34 b-n, at block 514, the method 500 includestransmitting a high duty cycle advertisement for a duration of time(e.g., 1.28 seconds). In addition, at block 516, the method 500 includesreceiving, at the first communication node 34 a, a signal from thevehicle access device 14. The signal is indicative of a (smoothed)location of the vehicle access device 14 relative to the vehicle.

FIG. 6 provides an example arrangement of operations for a method 600 ofdetermining a location of a vehicle access device 14 relative to avehicle 12. The method 600 is described with respect to the vehicle 12and the vehicle access device 14 of the communication system 10 asillustrated in FIGS. 1-4. At block 602, the method 600 includestransmitting, from data processing hardware 710 associated with thevehicle access device 14, an advertisement to the vehicle 12, andreceiving at block 604, at the data processing hardware 710, anotification from the vehicle 12. The notification is indicative of anotice to scan for high duty cycle advertisements. In response to thenotification, at block 606, the method 600 includes scanning, at thedata processing hardware 710 (e.g., using the wireless communicationnode 52), for high duty cycle advertisements. At block 608, the method600 includes receiving, at the data processing hardware 710, signalstrength indication values associated with the high duty cycleadvertisements. At block 610, the method 600 includes determining, atthe data processing hardware 710, a location of the vehicle accessdevice 14 with respect to the vehicle based on the received signalstrength values. At block 612, the method 600 includes transmitting,from the data processing hardware 710 to the vehicle 12, the location ofthe vehicle access device 14 relative to the vehicle 12.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of an example computing device 700 that maybe used to implement the systems and methods described in this document.The computing device 700 is intended to represent various forms ofdigital computers, such as laptops, desktops, workstations, personaldigital assistants, servers, blade servers, mainframes, and otherappropriate computers. The components shown here, their connections andrelationships, and their functions, are meant to be exemplary only, andare not meant to limit implementations of the inventions describedand/or claimed in this document.

The computing device 700 includes a processor 710, memory 720, a storagedevice 730, a high-speed interface/controller 740 connecting to thememory 720 and high-speed expansion ports 750, and a low speedinterface/controller 760 connecting to low speed bus 770 and storagedevice 730. Each of the components 710, 720, 730, 740, 750, and 760, areinterconnected using various busses, and may be mounted on a commonmotherboard or in other manners as appropriate. The processor 710 canprocess instructions for execution within the computing device 700,including instructions stored in the memory 720 or on the storage device730 to display graphical information for a graphical user interface(GUI) on an external input/output device, such as display 780 coupled tohigh speed interface 740. In other implementations, multiple processorsand/or multiple buses may be used, as appropriate, along with multiplememories and types of memory. In addition, multiple computing devices700 may be connected, with each device providing portions of thenecessary operations (e.g., as a server bank, a group of blade servers,or a multi-processor system).

The memory 720 stores information non-transitory within the computingdevice 700. The memory 720 may be a computer-readable medium, a volatilememory unit(s), or non-volatile memory unit(s). The non-transitorymemory 720 may be physical devices used to store programs (e.g.,sequences of instructions) or data (e.g., program state information) ona temporary or permanent basis for use by the computing device 700.Examples of non-volatile memory include, but are not limited to, flashmemory and read-only memory (ROM)/programmable read-only memory(PROM)/erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM)/electronicallyerasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) (e.g., typically usedfor firmware, such as boot programs). Examples of volatile memoryinclude, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM), dynamicrandom access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), phasechange memory (PCM) as well as disks or tapes.

The storage device 730 is capable of providing mass storage for thecomputing device 700. In some implementations, the storage device 730 isa computer-readable medium. In various different implementations, thestorage device 730 may be a floppy disk device, a hard disk device, anoptical disk device, or a tape device, a flash memory or other similarsolid state memory device, or an array of devices, including devices ina storage area network or other configurations. In additionalimplementations, a computer program product is tangibly embodied in aninformation carrier. The computer program product contains instructionsthat, when executed, perform one or more methods, such as thosedescribed above. The information carrier is a computer- ormachine-readable medium, such as the memory 720, the storage device 730,or memory on processor 710.

The high speed controller 740 manages bandwidth-intensive operations forthe computing device 700, while the low speed controller 760 manageslower bandwidth-intensive operations. Such allocation of duties isexemplary only. In some implementations, the high-speed controller 740is coupled to the memory 720, the display 780 (e.g., through a graphicsprocessor or accelerator), and to the high-speed expansion ports 750,which may accept various expansion cards (not shown). In someimplementations, the low-speed controller 760 is coupled to the storagedevice 730 and low-speed expansion port 770. The low-speed expansionport 770, which may include various communication ports (e.g., USB,BLUETOOTH®, Ethernet, wireless Ethernet), may be coupled to one or moreinput/output devices, such as a keyboard, a pointing device, a scanner,or a networking device, such as a switch or router, e.g., through anetwork adapter.

The computing device 700 may be implemented in a number of differentforms, as shown in the figure. For example, it may be implemented as astandard server 700 a or multiple times in a group of such servers 700a, as a laptop computer 700 b, or as part of a rack server system 700 c.

Various implementations of the systems and techniques described here canbe realized in digital electronic circuitry, integrated circuitry,specially designed ASICs (application specific integrated circuits),FPGAs (field-programmable gate arrays), computer hardware, firmware,software, and/or combinations thereof. These various implementations caninclude implementation in one or more computer programs that areexecutable and/or interpretable on a programmable system including atleast one programmable processor, which may be special or generalpurpose, coupled to receive data and instructions from, and to transmitdata and instructions to, a storage system, at least one input device,and at least one output device.

These computer programs (also known as programs, software, softwareapplications or code) include machine instructions for a programmableprocessor and can be implemented in a high-level procedural and/orobject-oriented programming language, and/or in assembly/machinelanguage. As used herein, the terms “machine-readable medium” and“computer-readable medium” refer to any computer program product,apparatus and/or device (e.g., magnetic discs, optical disks, memory,Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs)) used to provide machine instructionsand/or data to a programmable processor, including a machine-readablemedium that receives machine instructions as a machine-readable signal.The term “machine-readable signal” refers to any signal used to providemachine instructions and/or data to a programmable processor.

Implementations of the subject matter and the functional operationsdescribed in this specification can be implemented in digital electroniccircuitry, or in computer software, firmware, or hardware, including thestructures disclosed in this specification and their structuralequivalents, or in combinations of one or more of them. Moreover,subject matter described in this specification can be implemented as oneor more computer program products, i.e., one or more modules of computerprogram instructions encoded on a computer readable medium for executionby, or to control the operation of, data processing apparatus. Thecomputer readable medium can be a machine-readable storage device, amachine-readable storage substrate, a memory device, a composition ofmatter affecting a machine-readable propagated signal, or a combinationof one or more of them. The terms “data processing apparatus”,“computing device” and “computing processor” encompass all apparatus,devices, and machines for processing data, including by way of example aprogrammable processor, a computer, or multiple processors or computers.The apparatus can include, in addition to hardware, code that creates anexecution environment for the computer program in question, e.g., codethat constitutes processor firmware, a protocol stack, a databasemanagement system, an operating system, or a combination of one or moreof them. A propagated signal is an artificially generated signal, e.g.,a machine-generated electrical, optical, or electromagnetic signal thatis generated to encode information for transmission to suitable receiverapparatus.

A computer program (also known as an application, program, software,software application, script, or code) can be written in any form ofprogramming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, andit can be deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or asa module, component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in acomputing environment. A computer program does not necessarilycorrespond to a file in a file system. A program can be stored in aportion of a file that holds other programs or data (e.g., one or morescripts stored in a markup language document), in a single filededicated to the program in question, or in multiple coordinated files(e.g., files that store one or more modules, sub programs, or portionsof code). A computer program can be deployed to be executed on onecomputer or on multiple computers that are located at one site ordistributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communicationnetwork.

The processes and logic flows described in this specification can beperformed by one or more programmable processors executing one or morecomputer programs to perform functions by operating on input data andgenerating output. The processes and logic flows can also be performedby, and apparatus can also be implemented as, special purpose logiccircuitry, e.g., an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC(application specific integrated circuit), or an ASIC specially designedto withstand the high radiation environment of space (known as“radiation hardened”, or “rad-hard”).

Processors suitable for the execution of a computer program include, byway of example, both general and special purpose microprocessors, andany one or more processors of any kind of digital computer. Generally, aprocessor will receive instructions and data from a read only memory ora random access memory or both. The essential elements of a computer area processor for performing instructions and one or more memory devicesfor storing instructions and data. Generally, a computer will alsoinclude, or be operatively coupled to receive data from or transfer datato, or both, one or more mass storage devices for storing data, e.g.,magnetic, magneto optical disks, or optical disks. However, a computerneed not have such devices. Moreover, a computer can be embedded inanother device, e.g., a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant(PDA), a mobile audio player, a Global Positioning System (GPS)receiver, to name just a few. Computer readable media suitable forstoring computer program instructions and data include all forms ofnon-volatile memory, media and memory devices, including by way ofexample semiconductor memory devices, e.g., EPROM, EEPROM, and flashmemory devices; magnetic disks, e.g., internal hard disks or removabledisks; magneto optical disks; and CD ROM and DVD-ROM disks. Theprocessor and the memory can be supplemented by, or incorporated in,special purpose logic circuitry.

One or more aspects of the disclosure can be implemented in a computingsystem that includes a backend component, e.g., as a data server, orthat includes a middleware component, e.g., an application server, orthat includes a frontend component, e.g., a client computer having agraphical user interface or a Web browser through which a user caninteract with an implementation of the subject matter described in thisspecification, or any combination of one or more such backend,middleware, or frontend components. The components of the system can beinterconnected by any form or medium of digital data communication,e.g., a communication network. Examples of communication networksinclude a local area network (“LAN”) and a wide area network (“WAN”), aninter-network (e.g., the Internet), and peer-to-peer networks (e.g., adhoc peer-to-peer networks).

The computing system can include clients and servers. A client andserver are generally remote from each other and typically interactthrough a communication network. The relationship of client and serverarises by virtue of computer programs running on the respectivecomputers and having a client-server relationship to each other. In someimplementations, a server transmits data (e.g., an HTML page) to aclient device (e.g., for purposes of displaying data to and receivinguser input from a user interacting with the client device). Datagenerated at the client device (e.g., a result of the user interaction)can be received from the client device at the server.

While this specification contains many specifics, these should not beconstrued as limitations on the scope of the disclosure or of what maybe claimed, but rather as descriptions of features specific toparticular implementations of the disclosure. Certain features that aredescribed in this specification in the context of separateimplementations can also be implemented in combination in a singleimplementation. Conversely, various features that are described in thecontext of a single implementation can also be implemented in multipleimplementations separately or in any suitable sub-combination. Moreover,although features may be described above as acting in certaincombinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more featuresfrom a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from thecombination, and the claimed combination may be directed to asub-combination or variation of a sub-combination.

Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particularorder, this should not be understood as requiring that such operationsbe performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, orthat all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirableresults. In certain circumstances, multi-tasking and parallel processingmay be advantageous. Moreover, the separation of various systemcomponents in the embodiments described above should not be understoodas requiring such separation in all embodiments, and it should beunderstood that the described program components and systems cangenerally be integrated together in a single software product orpackaged into multiple software products.

The foregoing description has been provided for purposes of illustrationand description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit thedisclosure. Individual elements or features of a particularconfiguration are generally not limited to that particularconfiguration, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can beused in a selected configuration, even if not specifically shown ordescribed. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations arenot to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all suchmodifications are intended to be included within the scope of thedisclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for determining a location of a vehicleaccess device relative to a vehicle, the method comprising: receiving,at a first communication node of the vehicle, an advertisement from thevehicle access device; transmitting, from the first communication node,a connection request to the vehicle access device associated with thereceived advertisement; establishing, at the first communication node, aconnection with the vehicle access device; determining, at the firstcommunication node, a general location of the vehicle access device;when the general location of the vehicle access device is less than athreshold distance: transmitting, from the first communication node, anotification to the vehicle access device, the notification indicativeof a notice to scan for high duty cycle advertisement; transmitting,from the first communication node, a high duty cycle advertisementcommand to a second communication node of the vehicle in communicationwith the first communication node; in response to receiving the highduty cycle advertisement command at the second communication node,transmitting a high duty cycle advertisement for a duration of time; andreceiving, at the first communication node, a signal from the vehicleaccess device, the signal indicative of a location of the vehicle accessdevice relative to the vehicle.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein thethreshold distance is a distance from the vehicle of about five metersor less.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the duration of time fortransmitting, from the second communication node, the high duty cycleadvertisement is about 1.28 seconds.
 4. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising transmitting, from the first and second communication nodes,signal strength indication values to the vehicle access device.
 5. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the first communication node, the secondcommunication node, and the vehicle access device support Bluetooth LowEnergy personal area network technology.
 6. A system for determining alocation of a vehicle access device relative to a vehicle, the systemcomprising: a first communication node configured to: receive anadvertisement from the vehicle access device; transmit a connectionrequest to the vehicle access device associated with the receivedadvertisement; establish a connection with the vehicle access device;determine a general location of the vehicle access device; when thegeneral location of the vehicle access device is less than a thresholddistance: transmit for a period of time a notification to the vehicleaccess device, the notification indicative of a notice to scan for highduty cycle advertisement; and transmit a high duty cycle advertisementcommand; and a second communication node in communication with the firstcommunication node, the second communication node configured to: receivethe high duty cycle advertisement command from the first communicationnode; and transmit a high duty cycle advertisement for a duration oftime; wherein in response to transmitting the high duty cycleadvertisement for the duration of time, the first communication nodereceives a signal from the vehicle access device, the signal indicativeof a location of the vehicle access device relative to the vehicle. 7.The system of claim 6, wherein the threshold distance is a distance fromthe system of about five meters or less.
 8. The system of claim 6,wherein the duration of time for transmitting, from the secondcommunication node, the high duty cycle advertisement is about 1.28seconds.
 9. The system of claim 6, wherein the first and secondcommunication nodes each transmit signal strength indication values tothe vehicle access device.
 10. The system of claim 6, wherein the firstcommunication node, the second communication node, and the vehicleaccess device support Bluetooth Low Energy personal area networktechnology.
 11. A method for determining a location of a vehicle accessdevice relative to a vehicle, the method comprising: transmitting, fromdata processing hardware associated with the vehicle access device, anadvertisement to the vehicle; receiving, at the data processinghardware, a notification from the vehicle, the notification indicativeof a notice to scan for high duty cycle advertisement; in response tothe notification, scanning, at the data processing hardware, for highduty cycle advertisements; receiving, at the data processing hardware,signal strength indication values associated with the high duty cycleadvertisements; determining, at the data processing hardware, a locationof the vehicle access device with respect to the vehicle based on thereceived signal strength values; and transmitting, from the dataprocessing hardware to the vehicle, the location of the vehicle accessdevice relative to the vehicle.
 12. The method of claim 11, furthercomprising receiving, at the data processing hardware, a connectionrequest to connect the data processing hardware to the vehicle.
 13. Themethod of claims 11, wherein the signal strength indication values arereceived from at least one node of the vehicle.
 14. The method of claim11, wherein the high duty cycle advertisement is received for intervalshaving a duration of about 1.28 seconds.
 15. The method of claim 11,wherein the vehicle access device includes one of a smartphone, a smartwatch, and a tablet computing device.
 16. A vehicle access devicecomprising: data processing hardware; a screen in communication with thedata processing hardware; and memory hardware in communication with thedata processing hardware, the memory hardware storing instructions thatwhen executed on the data processing hardware cause the data processinghardware to perform operations comprising: transmit an advertisement tothe vehicle; receive a notification from a vehicle, the notificationindicative of a notice to scan for high duty cycle advertisement; inresponse to the notification, scan for high duty cycle advertisements;receive signal strength indication values associated with the high dutycycle advertisements; determine a location of the vehicle access devicewith respect to the vehicle based on the received signal strengthvalues; and transmit the location of the vehicle access device relativeto the vehicle.
 17. The vehicle access device of claim 16, where theoperations further include receiving a connection request to connect thedata processing hardware to the vehicle.
 18. The vehicle access ofclaims 16, wherein the signal strength indication values are receivedfrom at least one node of the vehicle.
 19. The vehicle access of claim16, wherein the high duty cycle advertisement is received for intervalshaving a duration of about 1.28 seconds.
 20. The vehicle access of claim16, wherein the vehicle access device includes one of a smartphone, asmart watch, and a tablet computing device.